Spanish government officials welcome state broadcaster’s Eurovision boycott over Israel’s participation

By Senhan Bolelli and Yasin Gungor

MADRID/ISTANBUL (AA) - Spanish government officials welcomed Thursday state broadcaster RTVE's decision to withdraw from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) voted to allow Israel's participation.

The move came after the EBU General Assembly in Geneva voted to allow Israeli broadcaster KAN to send an entry to compete in next year's contest in Vienna, Austria, despite Israel’s genocidal actions in Gaza.

Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz said she was proud that RTVE prioritized human rights, adding that culture must always stand for peace and justice rather than whitewashing the genocide in Gaza.

Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun said the state broadcaster made the correct decision, praising it for putting human rights above economic interests.

Youth and Children Minister Sira Rego thanked RTVE for defending dignity against genocide, while Social Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy said the broadcaster did the right thing and expressed hope other countries would follow.

Transport Minister Oscar Puente endorsed RTVE President Jose Pablo Lopez's assessment that EBU proceedings confirmed that Eurovision has become dominated by geopolitical interests rather than remaining a simple song contest.

Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia’s national broadcasters announced withdrawals following Thursday's vote allowing Israel's participation.

Israel has killed more than 70,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured nearly 171,000 others in attacks in Gaza since October 2023.